


meet me in the woods

by MissusCarlikins



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/F, First Meetings, party in the woods
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-05 19:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19046773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissusCarlikins/pseuds/MissusCarlikins
Summary: Cana meets a stranger in the woods and maybe falls a little bit in love.





	meet me in the woods

 

Something rustled in the trees and Cana had to bite back the scream that threatened to explode from her lips. She didn't often scare easily, hell she loved watching horror movies and  _laughing_ at the ridiculousness, but anyone would be scared in her situation. She was practically  _living_ a horror movie and it was all Gray's fault.

He'd said there was a party. He'd said it was epic and amazing and she was really missing out. He'd told her to get her ass down there immediately.

He'd forgotten to mention that the supposed party was in the  _middle of the fucking woods_ . 

She scowled and curled her fingers tighter around her phone, the only source of light in the otherwise dark night.

“So much for meeting me at the road,” she huffed, kicking a rock into a nearby tree with a woody thunk. The silence of the woods was unnerving, making the hairs on her arms stand up. It almost felt like the trees were holding their breath as they waited for something to happen. What it was, Cana didn't know, but she wasn't gonna hang around to find out. 

She knew she should have just gotten back in her car and turned around when she got his last text. She might as well have been asking to get murdered, wandering through the dark woods alone as she was. Plus any party in the middle of the woods was clearly a front for a satanic cult. She wouldn't be surprised if they were sacrificing virgins to the dark lord right then. Maybe her lack of virginity would actually keep her alive in this situation ...

Unless it was actually a slasher movie she was walking into, then she'd be the first to die.

She sighed and shook her head. She should just go home, no party was worth getting murdered over, not even one as epic and amazing as Gray claimed it to be.

A twig snapped and Cana froze, breath turning to ice in her chest. She'd just been kidding when she'd worried about about a murderer lurking in the trees. There hadn't been a murder in Magnolia for  _ages_ , but … maybe that meant it was long overdue. 

A rustle of leaves had her head whipping to the left as she scanned the area with her light. No shadows lurked, no knives flashed in the light, there was nothing there.

“I'm just imagining things.” She shook the paranoid thoughts out of her head and kept moving. Gray had told her that the clearing they were in was just a straight shot from the road. That it wouldn't be too hard to find. That she would be fine. 

Gray had told her a lot of things she was beginning to doubt.

Another twig snap had her spinning on her toes to scan the area. Again there was nothing, and again she told herself she was just imagining things. She almost believed it too, until she heard the breathing. It was nearly silent, but it was unmistakable in the silent night. A soft inhale, a breathy exhale. Someone was in the shadows.

She wasn't alone.

She licked her suddenly dry lips, slowly scanning the area with her phone. On one hand she didn't want to alert the killer to her location, on the other she didn't want to be caught by surprise when they slammed into her. She'd rather see the attack coming, even if she could do nothing to stop it. Yet once again her search came up with nothing. As far as her eyes could tell she was alone.

“I swear to god if that's you Gray ...” She trailed off, eyes narrowing as anger burned away the fear. She'd rather be angry, at least then she wasn't frozen. 

“Hello?”

Cana wasn't ashamed to admit that she screamed, throwing her phone in the direction of the noise. Of course she immediately realized by doing so she'd just thrown her light and was left in complete darkness with what was probably a murderer, but at the moment she'd thought it was the best option.

“I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!”

The voice was … far too sweet to belong to a murderer. There was a rustling and then Cana felt someone touch her hand. She shrieked and yanked her hand away, only to realize they were holding her phone, the light was pointing at the ground, but she was able to make out the figure in front of her.

A woman, about the same age as her, with long golden hair and wide dark eyes. She smiled and offered up the phone, this time waiting for Cana to take it from her hand. Cana eyed her, sliding back a step as she clutched the phone like a lifeline. At least now she could call the cops or something.

“I didn't think I'd see anyone else out here.” 

She was watching Cana, eyes appearing almost black in the dim light. She wondered what color they really were and shook her head. She shouldn't be wondering about a murderer's eye color, assuming she _was_ dealing with a murderer.

She was beginning to doubt that she was.

“Do you often walk around the woods in the middle of the night?” Cana hadn't meant to sound so accusatory, but her heart was still racing and she figured she had a good reason to be suspicious. 

The stranger blinked and chuckled. “Actually, yeah I do. It helps me clear my head and sleep easier.” She arched a brow and looked pointedly at Cana. “What's your excuse?”

Cana flushed. “I … well ...” She shook her head with a sigh. “I'm looking for a party.”

“In the middle of the woods?”

“... yeah.” Cana realized her excuse sounded like a lie and she rushed to explain herself. “My friend texted me about it and had promised to meet me at the road, but when I got here he claimed he was too drunk and told me I would be able to find it alone, which he assured me would be easy, yet here I am stumbling lost with no party in sight.” She took a deep breath, realizing she hadn't stopped to breathe once, and the stranger stared in silence. 

She worried for a moment that she'd said too much. That she really was dealing with a murderer and had just painted a target on her chest.

Then the laughter started. It seemed to echo off the trees, making her feel like she was surrounded by a singing creek. It was contagious, and although she was slightly mortified, Cana found herself laughing along.

They fell silent, the sounds of the forest rolling in to cover the last echoes of their laughter. An owl hooted off in the distance and something small ran through the bushes nearby. Although the forest around them was still, the air between them seemed to crackle, reminding Cana of the calm before the storm.

This stranger might not be a murderer, but that didn't mean there wasn't one out there.

“I uh, think I'll just head back.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder in what she hoped was the direction of her car. She hadn't been kidding about being lost. Even though she'd tried to walk in a straight line there had been times she'd had to zig and zag around big rocks and fallen trees. There was no guarantee it was a straight shot back to the road.

She glanced around, uncertainty curling around her stomach. She had her phone … even if it was beginning to lose battery fast. She would just text Gray that she wasn't going to bother with the party and yell at him about it tomorrow.

“You're closer to the party than the road.” The stranger shrugged when Cana shot her a suspicious look. “I skirted around it on my walk. They're kind of hard to miss when you get close enough.” She nodded off to the right. “I can show you the way. I know these woods pretty well.”

Cana pursed her lips and stared. She might be dealing with a murderer, or she was just dealing with a very helpful (and cute!) girl in the woods. One of them might get her killed, but the other …

“Yeah. That would be really helpful.” She smiled and held out her free hand. “I'm Cana, by the way.” 

“Lucy.” Her fingers slid into Cana's open hand, pale against her darker complexion, and surprisingly cold. Her heart stuttered as she squeezed Lucy's fingers in a quick shake, but before she could let go Lucy slid her fingers between Cana's, using her grip to tug her through the shadows. 

Lucy didn't seem to need a light to navigate the branches and stones that littered the nonexistent path, but Cana wasn't about to risk it. Even with her phone lighting the way she managed to stumble over everything, Lucy being the only thing keeping her from falling flat on her face. More than once she'd had to reach back and catch Cana before she could fall.

After about five minutes of walking Lucy stopped so suddenly that Cana found herself smacking against her back. She froze for a moment, face pressed against Lucy's silken hair that smelled faintly of vanilla and lemon. It was an intoxicating scent and she found herself almost leaning in to get more, managing to catch herself at the last minute and step back.

“What is it?” She kept her voice down, eyes darting around at the surrounding trees. Had Lucy seen something out there that she'd missed? Had she been right all along about the murderer hiding in the woods? 

Had she been wrong about Lucy?

Cana glanced at her, but with her back to the light she couldn't make out any expression. Lucy seemed to be scanning the area, her head swiveling ever so slightly as she searched for something.

“Someone's coming.”

Cana strained her ears, trying to hear what Lucy heard, but she'd clearly destroyed her hearing with too much loud music. The forest lay silent around them, not even the leaves seemed to be moving.

The fear that Cana had nearly forgotten settled like a weight around her shoulders and she found herself moving closer to Lucy, fingers curling in the fabric of her shirt. Even though Lucy was technically shorter than her, she moved in front of Cana, muscles shifting under Cana's fingers. She hadn't looked like a fighter, but there was no denying she was prepared to do just that if she had to.

Fire flickered in Cana's stomach, a warmth that spread slowly, melting the fear like ice slower than her anger had. She was glad Lucy was there, she felt  _protected_ . 

Then she heard it too. The rustling and snapping, growing louder with each breath. It sounded like someone was running, almost like a herd of startled deer. Except they weren't running away.

The scream crawled up her throat and touched her lips as the shadowy figures burst from the trees. Branches snapped and birds exploded from the leaves as the group came to a stop, a few panting for breath. The figure in the lead was half dressed, head held high as his eyes swept the area, landing on Cana and Lucy.

Cana's scream died before it truly had a chance to live, becoming a strangled shout instead. All of the anger and fear bubbled up when she looked at Gray and she found her body moving of its own accord. She stepped away from Lucy and walked up to Gray.

“Are you okay? We heard a scream—“

She hit him.

It wasn't a slap across the face, although later she would wish she had slapped him, just to hear the sound of it ringing through the silent trees. She'd never really been a slapper though, never understood the point when a punch to the gut worked so much better.

The breath left Gray with a hiss, his words dying on his lips as he pressed a hand to his stomach. She glared up at him, hands curling to fists at her sides. She was faintly aware of the people around them—Lucy behind her, Erza, Laxuz, and Mirajane behind Gray—but she didn't care.

“You mother _fucker_!” The word was a snarl and she threw herself at him, pounding her fists against his bare chest with more force than necessary. “You don't fucking text someone to come to the woods in the middle of the night _and then abandon them!_ ”

Cold hands with long nimble fingers closed around her shoulders and tugged. She let Lucy pull her back, grounding herself with a deep breath and finding comfort in Lucy's grip. She closed her eyes and took another breath, letting it out through her mouth. No one said anything as she took another breath, this time opening her eyes on the exhale.

Mira was standing next to Gray, concern clear on her face. Cana realized she could see everyone clearly, far more clearly than her phone light would give, and noticed the lantern in Mira's hand. She turned off the light on her phone and slid it in her pocket, glad that she'd managed to hold on to it this time.

“Gray.” She focused her attention on him, eyes narrowed in a glare. “You bet your ass you came running when you heard my scream. If I'd been getting murdered it would have been _your fault_!” 

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest as Lucy's hands slid down to grip her biceps. “You don't let a friend stumble through the woods alone! Have you ever seen a horror movie?”

Mira and Erza both took a step towards Cana, turning to face Gray.

“You made her walk alone?” Although it was a question, there was clearly no doubt in Erza's mind. Her voice was sharp enough to cut, and Cana couldn't stop the smug smile. Her girls would always have her back, especially when it came to the idiots like Gray. 

“What were you thinking?” Mira hissed, arms crossed under her chest as she glared at Gray. He shifted uneasily under their stares pleading gaze meeting Cana's. 

Lucy's fingers squeezed Cana's biceps and cool breath stirred the hair at her neck. “You found your party.” For a moment, Cana thought she felt the brush of lips over her skin, and then she felt nothing. No breath against her ear, no fingers chilling her skin. She turned, sure that she would be able to stop Lucy, grab her hand or say something, but she was gone. The forest lay still and silent, like she'd never even been there …

“Cana?”

Mira's hand was soft on her arm and she shook her head, glancing back at the group. Erza looked seconds away from kicking Gray's ass, her face very close to his as she hissed something to low for Cana to hear. 

“Sorry. I just ...” She shook her head again. “I got too much in my head. Thought too much about murderers hiding in the trees, y'know. Normal stuff.” She gave Mira what she hoped was a reassuring smile, stepping past her to lightly tap Erza's back. Erza stopped her scolding to glance at Cana who smiled again and rested a hand on Gray's arm. 

“I'm not sorry for hitting you because you're an asshole, but you can make it up to me by making sure this party is just as epic and amazing as you claim it to be.”

Laxus lead them back through the trees, Mira walking beside him with the lantern. Erza stomped behind them, muttering to herself about something that was sure to make Gray miserable.

“Are you sure you're okay?” She could smell the alcohol on his breath, but his tone betrayed none of it. His dark eyes bored into her face, checking for any sign of distress or injury she was sure. 

“Yeah, I am. You're walking me back to my car and never pulling a stunt like this again, but I'm good.”

“So that scream?”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “It was nothing.”

They got back to the party and friends rushed to make sure she was okay. Clearly no one had been that worried based on the drinks still going around, but Cana couldn't be upset, especially not after she had a few of those drinks herself.

There was something to be said about partying in the woods, the way the music coming from a grainy phone speaker mixed with the night sounds to make a new kind of noise. It was magical, and the energy was intoxicating.

Cana found herself throwing her head back, neck arching and hair cascading to the ground as she stared at the sky. Her eyes sought out any sort of moon, but it seemed she was sleeping for the night, hidden behind the shadow of earth.

No one asked her about the girl she'd been with when they found her, and Cana didn't offer any information. She wasn't sure why, it wasn't like Lucy had tried to hide herself from Cana's friends. She just hadn't necessarily made herself known either, and Cana had a feeling none of them would remember her in the morning.

None of them but Cana.

She smiled and spun in a circle, pausing when something in the trees caught her eye, a flash of golden hair.

She spun back to catch another glimpse, but the woods were empty and still.

Yet she couldn't quite shake the feeling of someone watching her, someone whose gaze made her feel … safe.

Protected.

She smiled and spun into Laxus's arms, laughing when he picked her up to spin her. Lucy would be her little secret, a dream memory of this night.

At least … until Cana managed to find her again.

**Author's Note:**

> When I'd started writing this I hadn't meant for there to be supernatural elements, it was just going to be two girls meeting in the woods at midnight, y'know ... as they do. Then about halfway through I realized that Lucy was most definitely a vampire and how could I not embrace that concept? 
> 
> Although nothing truly vampiric happens in this ficlet, I'm hoping to write more in this universe because ... I had fun writing this fic. For now we're going to call this a one-shot, if I write more it'll probably be as a series of connected one-shots. Maybe they'll be chronological, maybe not ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
